Something as simple as glancing at your watch or holding eye contact for too long can throw off your interviewer and hurt your chances of landing the job.

Same goes for gesturing wildly or fiddling with your keys in your pocket. Depending on what you do with your hands, you can give the impression of confidence, nervousness, or even dishonesty.

In their book "Crazy Good Interviewing," John B. Molidor, Ph.D., and Barbara Parus outline what different hand motions might convey. We combined Molidor and Parus's ideas with research from other experts to give you a handy (pardon the pun) breakdown to consult before your next interview.

It's okay to:

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Show your palms.

According to Molidor and Parus, this gesture indicates sincerity.

In fact, the meaning of open palms goes back centuries. In "The Definitive Book of Body Language," Barbara and Allan Pease explain that an open palm has been linked to "truth, honesty, alleigance, and submission" throughout Western history. "Humans use their palms to show that they are unarmed and therefore not a threat," they write.

It's okay to:

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Press the fingertips of your hands together to form a church steeple.

This is a display of confidence, write Molidor and Parus.

Over at Forbes, Carol Kinsey Goman writes, "You see lecturers, politicians and executives use this hand gesture when they are quite certain about a point they are making."

It's not okay to:

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Hold your palms downward.

Molidor and Parus say this behavior is a sign of dominance. "Do not shake hands with your palm down," they caution.

The Peases write that offering your hand palm-down "communicates that you want to take control of the encounter."

It's not okay to:

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Conceal your hands (like by putting them in your pockets).

When you keep your hands out of sight, according to Molidor and Parus, it looks like you have something to hide. This includes keeping your hands in your lap or behind your back.

As Anita Barbee, a professor of social work, told Real Simple, "A person may be telling you one thing, but these cues indicate you're not getting the whole story."

It's not okay to:

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Tap your fingers.

This behavior shows impatience, say Molidor and Parus.

It's not okay to:

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Fold your arms across the chest.

This is "a very defensive position, indicating disappointment or disagreement," Molidor and Parus write.